COLUMBUS, Ind. - The 15th-ranked IU Kokomo volleyball team was tested Saturday by a red-hot IU Columbus squad on its Senior Day, outlasting the Crimson Pride in the Cougars' first five-set match since August 30, when they fell to now No. 1 Providence (Mont.).

Saturday's victory capped a third-straight undefeated regular-season record in the River States Conference, extending the Cougars' regular-season conference win streak to 54 matches. Attention now turns to the River States Conference Championship, beginning Tuesday. With a win, IU Kokomo will host the semifinals Friday and the championship match Saturday.

FAST FACTS

• LOCATION: Ceraland Park Gym | Columbus, IN 
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 27-5 (16-0), IU Columbus - 20-8 (11-5)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU Kokomo - #15, IU Columbus - N/A

THE RUNDOWN 

• IU Kokomo opened the match strong, winning the first six points before IU Columbus countered with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to one. The Crimson Pride later led 11-9, prompting an IU Kokomo timeout, and extended their advantage to 21-20, forcing another Cougar timeout. The Cougars responded, hitting .364 in the first set and narrowly taking it 25-23.
• The Cougars trailed early in set two but pulled ahead to lead 15-10 just past the midway point, hitting over .300 once again en route to a 25-20 set-two win.
• IU Columbus controlled set three, though IU Kokomo stayed within striking distance throughout. The Crimson Pride took the set 25-20, keeping the match alive.
• The Crimson Pride jumped out to an early lead in set four, appearing poised to take control. IU Kokomo mounted an impressive comeback, even earning multiple match points, but IU Columbus edged the set 28-26, forcing a decisive fifth set.
• Despite hitting just .133 in the fifth set, IU Kokomo held IU Columbus to a -.176 hitting percentage and pulled away for a 15-8 win, claiming a hard-fought five-set victory for a 22nd consecutive victory.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Senior leader Lexi Broyles led the way with a match-high 15 kills and a .364 hitting percentage, while Cali Cummings turned in one of her best performances of the season, posting 11 kills on 18 attempts for a .556 hitting percentage. Mia Niekamp added 10 kills to the effort.
• Macy Chafin paced the team with 19 assists and seven digs, while fellow setter Allison Richman contributed 18 assists and eight digs.
• Sophomore libero Avery Littrell led the team with 13 digs, while Mya Grigsby and Ava Rundle each added 11. Grigsby also contributed eight kills.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "What a battle! It was great to be tested like this heading into the postseason. IUC is a hot team right now, and we knew going in that it would be a fight — and it was. I'm really pleased with how we responded late in set 4; that momentum helped carry us into a strong start in set 5. This was a gritty win. This group has come such a long way. The target on our back is enormous, and it's tough to win when we get everyone's best each night. But this team continues to survive every test, and I couldn't be prouder of them." - Head Coach Heather Hayes
• "With a young team this year, we constantly highlighted the importance of coming out and playing to our potential throughout the regular season. This season we proved to ourselves that we can handle adversity as a team, we can come out strong in a game and not shy away, and that when we play our game of volleyball great things happen. This weekend was a great test for us as the regular season ended and we pulled out the wins as a team! Lessons were learned, and now we get to apply those in the postseason." - Senior Lexi Broyles

THE ROAD AHEAD

• Next Match: 11/11 vs WVU Tech (RSC Championship Quarterfinal) - 7:00 PM ET

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.